{"id":4711,"date":"2019-08-26T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T10:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.providecare.org\/?p=4711"},"modified":"2024-09-16T19:23:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T19:23:12","slug":"how-identify-signs-symptoms-structural-stigma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.providecare.org\/blog\/how-identify-signs-symptoms-structural-stigma\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Identify Signs and Symptoms of Structural Stigma"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe provision of equitable and non-judgmental care is impeded by governmental and institutional policies and structures, such as financing of health care.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The depiction of stigmatization in research about hepatitis. C.B.L. Paterson, et al. International Journal of Drug Policy 18 (2007) 364-373.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

At Provide, our central driving value is the belief in the fundamental and inherent worth of all people\u2014including those who cause us discomfort. Often, this discomfort is a product of stigma: the negative view we hold of people because of a certain quality or circumstance. Stigma sits at the forefront of our work in providing abortion referrals trainings, as well as in the work of many of our partner sites, which includes domestic and sexual violence, family planning, HIV, primary care, and substance use disorder. Only by recognizing and working against stigma can we create systems that can truly provide patient-centered care for our clients. Our blog series on stigma discusses how it shows up in health care and social service delivery<\/a>; how to identify signs and symptoms of stigma at the individual<\/a>, environmental<\/a>, and structural levels; and how individuals can help to remove stigma from their workplace.<\/p>\n

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How to Identify Signs and Symptoms of Structural Stigma<\/span><\/h2>\n

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In seeking to identify where stigma might be present in your professional setting, it can be helpful to think about stigma as occurring at three levels:<\/p>\n

Individual:<\/strong> from the individual provider who is interacting with the patient\/client<\/span><\/p>\n

Environmental:<\/strong> from the immediate environment where health care and social services are delivered (the community or clinic in which you practice is also part of the environment)<\/span><\/p>\n

Structural:<\/strong> from the immediate policies and procedures that guide how health care and social services are delivered (this can include individual organizations, as well as local, state, and federal laws and policies)<\/span><\/p>\n

These levels are interconnected. Individuals can influence their environment to be stigma-free, but Environmental change requires leadership buy-in. The Structural level can be most effective to reducing stigma among a large population, but changes at this level can face significant opposition and take a substantial amount of time for people to agree on changes and then implement them.<\/p>\n

These changes can make an enormous difference in how clients experience their care, as they did for a client we recently interviewed. She related:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last time, you know, I felt real judged\u2026.The lady in there acted like I was just a lousy parent because I hadn\u2019t been taking no prenatals or anything\u2026.They\u2019re not as judgmental now, and I feel like they\u2019re there to listen to me and understand my circumstances and where I\u2019m coming from instead of just judge\u2026.It was better this time. I kind of felt like I was at home, talking to my husband or my mother. They really, they did a great job when they got the improvement that they got.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

While some forms of structural stigma may seem out of our control, there are steps we can take to ensure that stigma in our own workplaces is mitigated so that we can provide the best care possible.<\/p>\n

First, ask questions to help you determine how structural stigma exists in your workplace, such as:<\/p>\n